Small-scale fishing communities and climate change: A human rights

perspectiveChandrika Sharma

International Collective in Support of Fishworkers

Oceans and Climate Change - The scientific basis for meeting future challenges for coastal development and poverty reduction

12 October 2010Stockholm, Sweden

Climate change and fisheries: anticipated

impacts• Sea-level rise, subsidence, erosion, flooding• Rise in sea temperature, changes in

upwellings, change in species distribution, range and productivity

• Ocean acidification, coral bleaching• Loss of wetlands/ stress on mangroves• Exposure to extreme weather events—

cyclones, typhoons…• Water stress, drying of rivers and lakes

Fishing communities on the “frontline”—victims not the cause

Fishing communities and climate change

Fishing communities known to be disadvantaged• Insecure access to land and fishery resources• Exploitation by those who control inputs and

trade of fishery products• Poor access to basic services • Competition from industrial fleets• Pollution of inshore waters, environmental

degradation• Weak organizations, marginalized in

decisionmaking • Women disadvantaged in specific ways

Fishing communities and climate change

•Existing vulnerabilities likely to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change

•Existing vulnerabilities likely to affect ability for resilience and adaptation

Climate change and human rights

• The UN Human Rights Council addressed the connection between climate change and human rights in 2009

• Policies adopted for dealing with climate change should be coherent with overall human rights objectives—should protect, promote and fulfill rights to life and health, food and water, housing and property, a healthy environment, culture

• Actions taken to minimize and adapt to the effects of climate change must not infringe upon human rights.

Climate change policies and fishing communities• Policies for adaptation to climate

change should respond to existing vulnerabilities that exacerbate the impact of climate change, while enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity

• Bangkok Statement from Civil Society and Shared Gender Agenda provide clear pointers on issues that need to be addressed

Climate change policies and fishing communitiesEssential elements:• Adaptation strategies developed in

participatory ways, drawing on traditional and local knowledge and communities’ understanding of climate change

• Community-based disaster planning, early warning systems, safety at sea

• Decentralized co-management of resources, with greater ability and flexibility to respond to changes

Climate change policies and fishing communities• Improvement of basic services—also to

improve ability to enhance and diversify livelihoods

• Access to information• Accountability mechanisms in

implementation of measures and policies

• Funds and other resources for adaptation and resources management available to communities

Climate change policies and fishing communities

• Effort should be to improve socioeconomic wellbeing, secure roles in decisionmaking, improve resource management, thereby enhancing adaptive capacity

Climate change policies and fishing communities

Policies for adaptation and mitigation should not violate human rights of

already disadvantaged communities

MPAs as Blue Carbon Sinks

Mangrove conservation under REDD funding

Wind farms/ alternative energy/ nuclear

energy

construction of coastal defences

relocation of populations from coastal/ low-lying areasGeoengineering solutions

Thank you

Thank you

Promoting sustainable

SSF should be recognized as

a good strategy to deal with

climate change!